This paper discusses the role of programming in IT, the types of skills necessary, how we see the need for this skill changing in the other "pillars" of this academic discipline, and the impact on programming curricula. Looking forward programming has emerged as "the" foundation skill for information technologists. since the requisite skill sets of IT professionals differ from those of other computing professionals, programming in IT is fundamentally different from programming in computer science or software engineering. The IT Department at CUCG has changed the weight and delivery of programming in its curriculum several times since its inception in 1992. Today, programming is an essential foundation for other more advanced IT skills in all curricular knowledge areas, and it is a central outcome of our curriculum. However, for good or bad, the programming sequence in many CS programs is seen as a mechanism for weeding out weak students.  Our experience is that many students who struggle in the CS/SE programming sequence do well in the IT programming sequence, not because the IT sequence is less difficult (it isn’t), but because it is more focused on the kinds of computing tasks, they thought CS would prepare them to do.